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23 Field Capacity
The field capacity of soil is the moisture content after
drainage of gravitational water has become very slow
and the moisture content has become relatively
stable.
The terms field capacity, field–carrying capacity,
normal moisture capacity and capillary capacity are
synonymous.
The soil moisture tension at field capacity varies from
soil to soil, but it generally ranges from 1/10 to 1/3
atm.
24 Moisture Equivalent:
It is defined as the amount of water retained by a
sample of initially saturated soil material after being
subjected to a centrifugal force of 1000 times that of
gravity for a definite period of time, usually half an
hour.
Permanent Wilting Percentage:
It also known as permanent wilting point or wilting
coefficient.
It is the soil moisture content at which plants can no
longer obtain enough moisture to meet transpiration
requirements and remain wilted unless water is added
to soil.
25 Wilting Range:
It is the range of soil – moisture content through
which plants undergo progressive degrees of
permanent or irreversible wilting, from wilting of the
oldest leaves to complete wilting of all leaves.
Ultimate wilting:
The moisture content at which the wilting is complete
and the plants die is called the ultimate wilting.
Available Water:
Soil moisture between field capacity and
permanent wilting point is referred as
available water.
It is moisture readily available for plant use.
In general, fine textured soil have a wide
range of water available between field